Generator overdrive



-Ag .24, 1943. E. M. CLAYTOR '2,327,769

GENERATOR OVERDRIVE Filed April 2. }941 rig. 1. n L y i* In Fig. 1, numeral 20 refers to the generator` Patented Aug. 24, 1943 '21,327,769 i' y. .GENEaAgjroR ovvEimRvIvE l Edward vClaytolg- Anderson, Ind., assigner to General Motors'Corporation, Detroit, y corporation Vofy rDelaware Mich., a l

` i"gippneatigiianni"2,1941, seriaiNo. 386,494A i 131 claims (c1. '1i-29o) This invention relatesv to movableV speed generators and more particularly to generators driven by engines of automotive vehicles'.-

In my Patent No. 2,266,164,V issuedivDecember 16, 1941, I disclose a generator driven byaninhl-i ternal combustion lengine of an automobilehand means for automatically changingthe gearl ratio between the engine and generator when a certainl speed is attained. The purpose of thisV device is to obtain a relatively high "gear ratio `atlloweng-- gine speeds in order thatthe storage battery maybe charged by the generator.although the vehicle maybe moving at a low ratel of speed. At a certainf mediuln vehicle speed,y say `25- M. P. l-Lhthe gear ratio is automatically clfiangedl to a lower valueI so that? throughout the'range olt'lhigher engine speeds, the generator speed willl not be excessive. 1n ordertq provide A'for thisautomatic change ofrlge'ar ratiofI provideY atwo-speed trans-- missiongenerally known as an overdrive. D ur-` f ing the lower range nofl vehicle speed;l the generator is in overdrive;.and during thehigherrange` of vehicle speed,fthe lower Mspeedrrratio ofthe transmission 4to the generator is automatically,l

established. l A v p Ity isan object of the vpresent invention to simplify the. construction of the V.parts and the f assembling of the the generatori Y 1 Further objects and advantages of .the 'present parte. girth@ tw rs`peedidrivebfl r invention will be apparent from the following]` descriptionf reference being 'had etto t`he l accom` panying drawing wherein a lpreferred"embout.v

ment of the present invention Lisclearly shown.`v In the drawing: Fig. 1Y is a longitudinal improved two speed drive mechanism for a generator;.and t w Fig.4 2 is a sectionalview on the A'line 2&2 of- "seotional view of .mmvVA eld frame secured'to an end plate2i 'supportingl a ball bearing 22`within which the generator'` ing ZZandu supports a fangffor v,inducing the t, 4iow of air around thewindings of the armature.`

The fan 25 is housed in a compartment lwhich is defined `by`a housing ZA'lwhich includes Lthe' transmissionA to Ybe described and a partition.

plate 23 which, in the inal assembly, is attached to housingflliby screws 25.. f

Transmission housing 2l supports a' ball bearing ,370, the inner `race of which has a press I't with a drive shaft 3| splinedly connectedY at 32 with a pulley 33. A bearing seal 34 rides on a spacer ring 3'5 conned between the inner race of bearing Eiland the hub ofpulley 33 Vwhich hub is secured in position by the tightening of a nut threaded on the right end of shaft 3l. g Shat 3| is vconnectible with the shaft 23I directly through an overrunning clutch corfiprising` an inner member 4S and an outer member 45.

The inner'member 4B is provided with an inter-- to a cup shaped member Ell, the plane -end wall 5l of which is attached at 52 to a hub 53 which drives the shaft 23 through `its splines 54; The

normaldrive or low speed drive of the generator includes pulley 33, shaft 32, inner .clutch member 4Q, outer clutch member 45, cup-shaped-member 50, hub 53 and shaft 23. j, 1

'I'he overdrivetransmission between shafts 3! and 23 will now be described. The hub d! of clutch meinberlin provides a journal for alsun gear S which `meshes with a plurality of planet gears 6l journalledon studs 62 carried by plate or planet gearcarrier 63 attached to and driven by the clutch ymember 40. Theplanet gear Elv meshes with an internal ring gear S4 attached tothe cylinder'periphery 5570i the-cup member 5%. vIn order to put the transmission in 4overdrive itis necessary-to prevent rotation ofthe sun gear 6D. rIfhis is accomplished by the use of a brake comprising a brake drum iB ,rthe plane end wall ll of whichis attached at .12 to thelsun gear 6l). The drum l0 cooperates with a brake band i'3 having a lining '13m` The bandlB-is secured at oneend to a fixed pin 'lll andat' the other'end it carries a lug .l5 provided; withja slot' 76 for receiving the `grooved end 'Hof ha rodfl` which extends upwardly through a wall l9in l housing 21,` and isattached v'to thearmature not shown of a solenoid unit 8l) mounted onthe housing 2l. Normallythe bandflining laengages the drum jlll through `the `action of a coil spring 8| surrounding rod `'I3 and engaging at its upper end acupped washer82i urged `by the spring against the underside of awall portion of housing 2l. At its lowerend, spring 8l yengages a cupped washer 83 bearing-against the lug 15;-

When the engine is operating at a speed within Each notch encloses4 a` the driving shaft and connected therewith, said connection being maintained by virtue of` connecting the frame parts together, said sub-assembly comprising also a sun gear in the plane of the ring gear and rotatably supported'by the hub of the driving member of the clutch, a planet gear carrier attached to the driving member of the clutch, planet gears pivotally supported by the carrier and meshing with the ring gear and sun gear, and a brake drum attached to the sun gear; and a friction element supported by the housing for engaging the brake drum, and electroresponsive means carried by the housing for controlling the friction element.

3. An overdrive transmission comprising a frame part supporting a bearing, a second frame part supportingl a bearing in alignment with the first named bearing, a drive shaft supported by the rst bearing, means for detachably securing the frame parts together to prevent separation of the bearings, a driven shaft supported by the second bearing; a sub-assembly unit for connecting the shafts and separable from the shafts as a unit, said sub-assembly comprising a one- Way roller clutch having a driving member and a driven member the latter surrounding the former, a `hub fitting around an end of the driven shaft and drivingly -connected therewith, acupshaped part having an annular flange and a plane end Wall attachedto said hub and driven member of the clutch, a ring gear carried by said annular flange, a hub provided by the driving member of the clutch and tting around an end of the driving shaft and connected therewith, said connection being maintained` by virtue of connecting the frame parts together, said subassembly comprising also a sun gear in the plane of the ring gear and rotatably supported by the hub of the driving member of the clutch, a planet gear carrier attached to the driving member of the clutch, planet gears pivotally supported by the carrier and meshing with the ring gear and sun gear, and a second cup-,shaped member having a ange providing a brake-drum surrounding the ring gear and having a plane end Wall attached tothe sun gear; and a friction element supported by the housing for engagingthe brake drum; and a solenoid carried by the housing and connected with the friction element, said solenoid when actuated releases the friction element from the brake drum.

EDWARD M. CLAYTOR. 

